Rasmussen said, "Most voters in the state see the contest as an ideological clash. Sixty-one percent view Boxer as a liberal politically, while just as many (63 percent) regard Fiorina as a conservative. This includes 36 percent who say Boxer is very liberal and 31 percent who view Fiorina as very conservative.

"Forty-two percent of California voters think Boxer's views are mainstream, but 41 percent see them as extreme. Similarly, 40 percent label Fiorina's views as mainstream, but just 32 percent believe they are extreme."

Boxer, first elected to the Senate in 1992, has said she believes Fiorina, the former chief executive of Hewlett-Packard, represents her toughest re-election challenge to date. The full Rasmussen report is available here.

PHOTO CREDIT: GOP Senate candidate Carly Fiorina at the California Republican party on election night for the June 8 primary. Bryan Patrick/Sacramento Bee.